No charges to be laid in October 2010 waterfowl deaths in Syncrude’s and Suncor’s Tarsands waste lakes, adverse weather blamed

No charges to be laid in October 2010 waterfowl deaths in Syncrude’s and Suncor’s Tarsands waste lakes, adverse weather blamed Press Release by the Alberta government, October 4, 2012
Edmonton… Charges will not be laid in the incident that saw several hundred migratory birds land on tailings ponds at Syncrude and Suncor on October 25 and 26, 2010. … Dr. St. Clair concluded that both Syncrude and Suncor could not have prevented the bird landings. She also determined that there were many factors leading to the incident where 551 birds were killed or euthanized after coming in contact with bitumen. The most significant factor was adverse weather conditions, including strong and variable winds, freezing rain and poor visibility. … Industry and the University of Alberta are working collaboratively to implement electronic, field-based data recording, develop new technologies for automating bird monitoring, and testing new methods for bird deterrence. These efforts, together with the court-ordered research project resulting from an April 2008 Syncrude incident that resulted in waterfowl deaths, will identify best practices…. [Emphasis added]
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